Microsoft announced that they are lowering the prices on several consumer editions of Windows Vista. FiringSquad reports that Vista Home Premium’s price will now be $129, down from $159, and the Vista Ultimate Edition will drop from $299 to $219.

Microsoft’s press release implies that Vista sales have been strong through the sale of new PCs, but less than stellar when it comes to individual consumer purchases. They hope this price drop will encourage more XP users to upgrade.

Expect retailers to update their prices in the weeks before Microsoft releases the Vista Service Pack 1 in mid-March.